69novels Page 117
Page 117
“It has nothing to do with you, I can be sure of that.” Just as Quinn was sweating profusely, Medusa suddenly spoke up as if she had realized something. “If it really had anything to do with you, Zeus would never have allowed Jupiter to make a deal with that outsider. Zeus valued you very much. After your death, Hermes once joked that he would create a hero based on you, but he was beaten up by Zeus and Jupiter. Moreover, if their agreement really had anything to do with you, Zeus would not still be searching for Jupiter's whereabouts, but would simply ignore Jupiter altogether.”
"?" Upon hearing Zeus's name, Quinn looked up at Medusa. "Didn't you say that, besides the god of war and the god of love, you were the only one who was clearly left on the surface of the earth?"
“That’s true, but the Age of Gods hasn’t completely ended yet, and the passage between the Inner Sea of the Stars and the surface of the earth hasn’t been completely closed. Before the passage closes, we gods who are still in the mortal world still have the opportunity to enter the Inner Sea of the Stars. Originally, Jupiter was responsible for maintaining this passage, but after Jupiter disappeared, only Zeus was left with the ability to maintain it. In recent years, Zeus has basically been in the gap between the mortal world and the Inner Sea of the Stars. He is searching for Jupiter while giving us gods who are still in the mortal world the opportunity to enter the Inner Sea of the Stars in time.”
Is this something Zeus would do?
Listening to Medusa's words, Quinn felt a bit like complaining. In his memory, the Greek god-king's style of doing things was almost entirely based on personal preferences. To be honest, he found it hard to imagine that Zeus could do something so responsible one day. But upon closer reflection, Jupiter's existence was probably the same to Zeus as Europa II was to him. If Europa II were to suddenly disappear one day, he would do something similar.
However, looking at it this way, things start to look strange.
Quinn was also curious about what agreement the Catholic God had reached with Jupiter that would allow Jupiter to abandon Rome and suddenly disappear from the sight of the gods.
He couldn't help but look at Arcueid, hoping to get some information from her. After all, among this group, the one who last saw Jupiter was probably Arcueid, who summoned Jupiter in the Fourth Holy Grail War. But when his eyes met Arcueid's, the princess of the True Ancestor shook her head.
"This is the first time I've heard this news either. When Jupiter responded to my call, she clearly stated that she responded because she sensed a contractual connection between you and me, and she just wanted to know what contract we had made."
Arcueid recounted the events truthfully, dashing Quinn's hopes. As Quinn pondered what kind of contract the One God and Jupiter had reached, and whether this contract was related to his purpose, Sajō Aika, who had been mostly silent, suddenly raised her hand. "You, Lin, I, you didn't mean to, you, Lin, are you, are you..."
"Well... although this theory may not hold true for gods, I still have to say something. Don't forget, under normal circumstances, the Holy Grail War cannot summon god-level Servants, even if you obtain a relic related to that god. Unless the god himself has the will and has made sufficient preparations in advance, it is possible for him to descend to earth using the ritual of the Holy Grail War."
Upon hearing this, Quinn looked at Sajou Ayaka and asked, "You mean?"
"Well, the reason why Lady Arcueid was able to summon Jupiter might not be because she has a contractual relationship with you, but because Jupiter herself intends to intervene in the Holy Grail War. However, the only way for her to descend is through Lady Arcueid. In other words, Jupiter may be aiming for the Fourth Holy Grail War."
Chapter 278 The Agent of God
Sajou Aika's words made Quinn's eyes light up. He hadn't thought of it that way before. After all, Jupiter, as an omnipotent god who held the authority of the twelve Olympian gods and was in a sense omniscient and omnipotent, could do almost anything she wanted. For such a being, the Holy Grail, which was created by a magician, might not be able to do as much as she could do herself.
Therefore, Quinn almost tacitly acknowledged that Jupiter's summoning by the Holy Grail was merely a coincidence.
If anyone else had made this conjecture, Quinn probably wouldn't have taken it seriously, because most people couldn't comprehend the level of power Jupiter possessed. But since it was Ayaka Sajou who said it, Quinn had to think about it more, after all, this girl always seemed to have an inexplicable connection with things like the Holy Grail.
So what is it that Jupiter should pay attention to in the Fourth Holy Grail War?
The evils of this world
[Based on the hints from Ayaka Sajou, the only thing you can think of in the Fourth Holy Grail War that even a supreme god like Jupiter couldn't easily obtain is the filth residing in the Greater Grail. Most importantly, when you obtained the Greater Grail in Fuyuki, you were already prepared to purify the Grail, and you didn't actually encounter much interference when you were eyeing it.]
The evil of this world that existed within the Greater Grail was easily cleansed by you without much resistance. At the time, you thought this was because the Greater Grail had not yet been activated, and the accumulated magical power was insufficient to open the hole to the Root. Therefore, the evil of this world did not possess the destructive power described in the original story. But now, it seems that perhaps Jupiter dealt with the evil of this world in the process of ending the Holy Grail War in one night. The filth you encountered was merely a few remnants.
Based on these details you hadn't paid much attention to before, you think that Ayaka Sajou is right. Jupiter's reason for participating in the Holy Grail War is mostly for the evil in this world contained in the Grail. However... you find it hard to imagine why Jupiter wants this thing. The only way you can think of to use it is basically only one.
[Summon Beast]
The constant pop-up simulator windows made Quinn's thoughts clearer and clearer. His gaze swept over Sajyo Ayaka, who was also related to the Sixth Beast and was pursuing the Holy Grail. He began to think that this might be the information that Sajyo Ayaka wanted him to know. After all, this girl had used the Holy Grail to summon the Sixth Beast in the original work.
However, Quinn still couldn't understand why Jupiter would want to summon such a bizarre thing as the Sixth Beast, and why Sajou Ayaka would lead him to think in this direction. But he knew one thing: there must be some Christians who knew about the contract between Jupiter and the One God. After all, the contents of the contract had already explained everything.
[So you inquired about Christians from Medusa. As the patron goddess of Rome, having watched over Rome for so long, she naturally knew the Christian strongholds still residing on Roman soil, and indeed, that was the case.] You, Lin, I miss you, are you free, Lin, are you there...?
Medusa tells you everything about all the Christians still walking on Roman soil, and among them, you hear a name that carries considerable weight.
Mary Magdalene
The most devout disciple who accompanied Jesus, and who is rumored to be his companion, originally went to Gaul after Jesus' death, where he lived in seclusion until his death. However, according to Medusa, after the death of the Son, all the disciples who had been loyal to him went their separate ways, except for Mary Magdalene, who remained in Rome. When asked why she did this, she simply said it was because of Jesus' teachings.
Hearing this news, you have reason to be certain that this Mary is the person you are looking for. She likely knows all the secrets about the Son of God. As the incarnation of the One God on Earth, the Son of God must know the secret of the covenant between Jupiter and the One God. Therefore, this most devout disciple of the Son of God, or rather, the Son of God's earthly companion, should also know what you want to know, whether it is the covenant between gods or the whereabouts of the Holy Grail.
You've decided to travel to the disciple's location, but this time, you only intend to take Mordred with you.
As for Arcueid and Ayaka Sajō, you want them to stay by Medusa's side for two reasons: firstly, their presence wouldn't be of much use to you; secondly, you don't want Ayaka Sajō to know about your conversation with Maria, and you don't want her to be able to move freely in this era. You want Medusa and Arcueid to keep an eye on this princess, who could be both an asset and a ticking time bomb.
When you announced your decision, Ayaka Sajou naturally showed obvious dissatisfaction. However, no matter how dissatisfied she was, she couldn't go against Arcueid, who had no objections to your arrangements. When this princess of the True Ancestor grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pressed her down in the Medusa Temple like a kitten, she ultimately agreed to your decision.
Seeing this, Medusa roughly understood the relationship between you and these women. As before, she obediently listened to you. However, when you left the temple, you could clearly see the desolation on the goddess's face. Although she was already used to your way of doing things, after a long wait and slumber, she still hoped that you would stay here a little longer after finally seeing you again.
Therefore, before you leave, you tell her that you will not be leaving anytime soon, and that you will return to the temple soon after you have seen the disciple of the Holy Son.
With this commitment, you begin your journey toward the gathering place of Christians.
[Your journey has been smooth sailing. Following the address Medusa gave you, you inquired about Mary from Roman officials and commoners along the way. Although most people didn't know who the Mary you were looking for was, those who did often gave you the most accurate information. This was thanks to the Christians' discreet approach, unlike the Jews. If you had asked about Jewish matters, you probably wouldn't have received such treatment.]
[With a flurry of news, you soon arrived at the Christian gathering place Medusa had mentioned. It was a small mountain village far from the city, seemingly no different from any other village outside the city. But before you could even step inside, a figure filled with bright light appeared before you.]
That was an angel.
“Beast, stop here, or I swear in the name of God’s agent that I will destroy your body.”
Chapter 279 These two are definitely having an affair
Angel.
Angels are messengers of God's will, spirits who serve God, and protectors sent by God to protect believers from evil. In the Christian Bible, there are countless stories about angels. These pure spiritual beings, created to serve God, have always played the role of messengers between God and mankind.
However, a small number of angels have even more special duties.
As a magician who had studied magic within the Clock Tower, Quinn, while not possessing exceptional magical talent, knew all the basic knowledge a magician should have. Among these, the most important was the knowledge of angels, because in the Type-Moon world, aside from ancient Eastern kingdoms and some special magic, the foundation of almost all magic used by magicians worldwide can be traced back to one source—King Solomon. (The remaining text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)
In other words, the underlying logic of the magic used by the vast majority of magicians is actually based on the Christian system. This is why the Holy Church refers to the magicians of the Magic Association as heretics, rather than pagans.
Therefore, for modern magicians, recognizing and judging angels is a basic skill, and the angel that appeared in front of Quinn at this moment was the kind that any magician could recognize.
Quinn's eyesight penetrated the radiance that could blind mortals, and he could clearly see the specific features of the figure shrouded in that radiance: seventy-two pairs of wings, thirty-six hundred and sixty-five thousand shining eyes, and a crown adorned with forty-nine jewels. These features, like a code on an identity card, were its unique proof of identity.
The moment Quinn saw the other person, he knew that this Maria with the large arm was definitely having an affair with that holy son, simply because this angel's existence was too special.
In the public eye, the most famous angel is undoubtedly Michael, the "godlike one." Many consider Michael to be the most powerful and favored archangel under God. However, in the understanding of some minority religious sects, the truly powerful and favored angel is not the warlike Michael, but rather God's secretary, who records all things in the world and serves as God's "scribe" and "prime minister" in Heaven.
"Metatron."
Quinn whispered the name of the angel before him. The 'Vice-King of Heaven,' who should have been sitting before God's throne, guarding the throne, and even, in some cases, sitting on the throne in place of God to perform divine duties, had actually appeared on earth and was staying near the dwelling place of Mary Magdalene. This must have shown that God's regard for this believer had reached an extraordinary level.
but……
Quinn scrutinized Metatron before him. Although he could clearly observe that the other's appearance was extremely consistent with the legendary, primordial angel, he did not sense any divine qualities in him. In fact, Quinn even felt that what he was seeing was just a phantom.
[Your long years of magical training and extensive experience have allowed you to notice the anomaly of the angel before you. This is indeed an angel, and the near-divine being you know, but He is not descending in His true form. Just as other elves and gods can no longer walk on the surface of the earth, so too can angels, especially top-tier angels like Metatron. Compared to the gods who originally lived on the surface of the earth, the conditions required for an angel's descent are far more stringent. But if it is merely the projection of a powerful phantom, then it is a different matter.]
The simulator's pop-up resolved Quinn's doubts, but even though it was just a phantom, Metatron was different from the other angels.
Quinn remembered that before he transmigrated, FGO had already released a Servant related to Metatron. However, at that time, he had paid little attention to FGO. He had only vaguely heard that the Servant related to Metatron was Jeanne d'Arc. Furthermore, Metatron himself did not belong to the type like Zeus, whose ranking was based solely on pure combat power. The most powerful authority of this Heavenly Scribe was the crown he held as God's agent and the command of the angel legion.
In other words, even if Metatron in front of him is just a phantom, he still has the ability to summon those truly powerful angels.
Thinking of this, Quinn stopped his steps, which were still intended to take him closer to the village. As Quinn stopped, Metatron, who had spoken out against it, fell silent for a few seconds.
“I am not talking about you, my chosen Messiah. I have no disrespect for you. I am referring to the spirit that follows you. Her connection with the beasts is too great. She must not enter this place. If the great red dragon finds out where this place is, the crisis of the millennium will come sooner than expected.”
As Metatron spoke again, the strange angelic image before Quinn gradually took on more human forms. By the time she finished speaking, Metatron's appearance was exactly the same as Joan of Arc in Quinn's memory. This difference in treatment made Quinn raise an eyebrow. Clearly, some of the sayings in the Holy Church's classics were still true.
When dealing with believers in God, angels always show their best and most beautiful side. Only when facing enemies do they reveal their true nature as God's vanguard.
As the savior chosen by a single god, Quinn naturally enjoyed the treatment of a living saint in a sense. However, this differential treatment was a bit too obvious, which made Mordred grimac and show his resentment. Europa II, who was hiding in Mordred's body, was even more furious.
"She is my servant."
“I know, but only a pure person who has never been in contact with wild beasts can meet Mary Magdalene. I cannot risk the wild beasts knowing her location,” Metatron explained.
"Fine, I won't go in!" Mordred began to breathe out. "Do you think I want to go in?!"
After saying that, Mordred turned into a spirit and disappeared before Quinn's eyes. Seeing Mordred disappear, Metatron also restrained his hostility and then raised his hand to Quinn, signaling Quinn to follow in his footsteps.
At this point, Quinn had nothing more to say.
[You followed Metatron's footsteps and entered the settlement. This scribe of the Kingdom of Heaven personally led you to the house of Mary Magdalene, whom you were looking for, and introduced you to this woman who, according to legend, was very likely the wife of the Son of God. When you arrived at the door of Mary's house, you saw her.]
[This was an ordinary-looking woman, neither beautiful nor particularly remarkable. Apart from giving off a peaceful aura, Maria seemed like just an average person you could find anywhere else.]
[Until you are warmly invited into the house, and you see the glass that was casually placed on the dining table, filled with wine, a seemingly ordinary glass.]
Holy Grail
Your intuition tells you that this is what Ayaka Sajou is looking for.
Chapter 280 Nemesis
Oh no, it's a Stand of the same type.
Looking at the golden cup filled with inferior wine, Quinn realized that everything in this small, dilapidated wooden hut was unusual. His gaze swept over all the seemingly insignificant things in the room and he discovered many things that would drive countless people crazy in later generations. The Holy Grail was just one of them.
Inside the room, on a cabinet, blood-stained linen, three nails, and a ring-shaped crown woven from thorns lay quietly. Inside the wardrobe hung a clean, but clearly unworn, deep red robe, still carrying a faint scent of blood. In the corner, a two-person-high wooden cross-shaped torture device stood out conspicuously; upon closer inspection, a small beetle could be seen clinging to it…
The Shroud of Turin, the Nails, the Crown of Thorns, the Robe, the True Cross, the Scarab... all sorts of relics related to the Son of God who was persecuted to death by the Jews are collected in this old wooden house, mixed in with ordinary furniture like any other furniture.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to come at this time. I haven’t had time to clean up the clutter in the house.” The plain-looking woman respectfully presented the chalice containing wine to Quinn, speaking with humility and respect as if she were receiving a great esteemed person. “All that’s left in the house is this cheap wine to entertain you.”
If this scene were to be witnessed by later generations of church believers, it would likely have moved even the Pope to tears of envy. After all, to drink wine from a chalice that had contained the blood of Jesus, especially when poured by the legendary companion of Jesus, was something even the Pope dared not imagine.
"It's not inferior." (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and doesn't translate.)
As Quinn accepted the Holy Grail, he felt a little strange. He was the one who usually pulled this kind of trick, but now someone else was doing it, showing off their skills. It felt a bit eerie, especially since he could clearly sense the thoughts of the Mary Magdalene in front of him.
Unlike him, who deliberately flaunted his wealth in this subtle way, Maria had no intention of showing off. These holy objects were indeed precious and important items in this woman's eyes, but compared to inanimate objects, she valued living people more. In her eyes, Quinn, who was personally brought by the angel Metatron and whose identity as the 'Messiah' was proven, was a person worthy of the same treatment as Jesus.
Therefore, she genuinely believed that it was her mistake not to serve Quinn better drinks.
Such pure simplicity was so rare that it made Quinn, who had always treated people with self-interest, quite uncomfortable. He knew very well that in this remote place, and as a pagan who was not well-liked by the Romans, this was the best Maria could offer.
"you are too polite."
Quinn took the wine and sipped it lightly. As he drank, a sense of comfort coursed through his body, giving him the feeling of enjoying a high-end massage at a massage parlor. This was one of the Holy Grail's inherent abilities; it was said that drinking the water contained in the Holy Grail would heal all injuries and grant the drinker immortality. However, for Quinn, this effect was nothing more than a massage, after all, he was a man possessing Hercules.
But this is enough to prove that this is the legendary Holy Grail.
Holding this relic, which holds a pivotal position in European history, in his own hands, Quinn looked at Maria and said, "I'm here for a reason."
“I know, sir. Before he chose to accept his fate, he told me that you would find me one day and take away his belongings. Therefore, after his death, I collected all his belongings and waited for your arrival to entrust them to you.”
In response to Quinn's words, Maria gave a reply that stunned Quinn. Quinn looked at the Holy Grail in his hand, then at the holy relics piled up in various parts of the room, and cold sweat began to pour from his forehead.
Quinn knew perfectly well who the "he" Maria was referring to was. Quinn had considered that entering Rome as a "saver" would inevitably lead to another battle with the Sixth Beast, and he knew that this journey would likely be difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this difficult. Quinn couldn't even imagine how terrifying the dangers he would face this time would be, to the point that so many sacred objects would be needed as a foundation.
"What else did he say?"
Quinn wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.
"When you arrive in Rome, the Beast of Sodom has already taken shape. You bear the responsibility of conquering the beast and dispelling the malice that distorts human reason. When you need it, all Christians and angels will be your help. But whether it is a Christian or an angel, or even the relics they leave behind, they can only help you weaken the power of the Beast of Sodom. In the end, only the great thunderbolt from the sky can defeat the beast."
As Mary recounted the last words of the Holy Son, her face was filled with an indescribable piety, and her demeanor was no longer that of an ordinary peasant woman, but rather exuded a noble and holy aura. Metatron, standing beside her, also bowed his head, expressing his respect for these words of advice.